The Bible doesn't instruct to pray to Jesus

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Anchorite

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I believe it proves that there are no instructions to pray to Jesus in the Bible.
You hammer away at this mistaken idea because you do not believe Jesus is God.

You refuse to define prayer.

You ignore scriptures where Stephen prayed to Jesus as he died.

You dismiss scriptures where Jesus said we can ask Him for things.

This unedifying quarrelsome conversation has reached a dead end.
 
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Runningman

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You hammer away at this mistaken idea because you do not believe Jesus is God.

You refuse to define prayer.

You ignore scriptures where Stephen prayed to Jesus as he died.

You dismiss scriptures where Jesus said we can ask Him for things.

This unedifying quarrelsome conversation has reached a dead end.
Let's just agree to disagree. I have been in what seem like debates that go on for years, with little to no progress, and both sides becoming more entrenched in their views, because people feel passionately about what they believe. I would add, zeal is not the yardstick for what is true. That being said, let's agree that the Bible never provides an instruction to pray to Jesus, regardless of whether he is God or not. The Bible is simply silent on the matter of directing prayers to him, i.e., the word "prayer" isn't even used to describe talking to Jesus, no one said "pray to Jesus", people say pray to the Father and ask the Father repeatedly.
 

RLT63

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Then Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3091: Joshua or Jehoshua = 'Jehovah is salvation' n pr m 1) son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan 2) a resident of Beth-shemesh on whose land the Ark of the Covenant came to a stop after the Philistines returned it 3) son of Jehozadak and high priest after the restoration 4) governor of Jerusalem under king Josiah who gave his name to a gate of the city of Jerusalem
I'm praying to Jesus. That's the name that's always worked when I pray.
 
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PS95

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RM- I see you wrote that you do converse with Jesus. You call it talking and I call it praying. Makes no nevermind to me what you want to call it.. If I were catholic and thought Mary was in heaven I still would not "talk" or "pray" to Mary. Would you?
Talking to God is the same as praying, because prayer is at its core, conversation with God. When we are praying we are communioning with the Father and drawing near to Him through the many forms of prayer.
I think one of the most common misconceptions about prayer is that it is only praying when you are asking God for something. Of course, that is a form of prayer and it’s called supplication, but that is not the center of what prayer is all about.
Prayer is about spending time with God through communing and fellowshipping with Him. When we fellowship with God, it takes on many facets.
We have one mediator who is Our Savior and Lord. It's perfectly fine to speak with Him and since he is in heaven I will call it prayer. That has nothing to do with having a vision like the elder. Nothing. I don't need to have a vision to speak with my Lord.
As far as I'm concerned this thread is not worth arguing about since you also say you talk with the Lord. Where we differ if you insist that He had no heavenly existence prior to birth on earth, and I find that to be utterly ridiculous.
anyway- there is no point to this thread for me unless you want to try to argue pre-existence.
See ya 'round.
 
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Justified

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Yes, absolutely correct. Prayer is for the Father only.

Is asking me for things prayer? No
Is asking you for things prayer? No
Is asking Jesus for things prayer? No
Of course asking you or me for things isn’t prayer, but Jesus didn’t say to ask each other.

But Jesus did say to ask him for things, in John 14:13-14, and he would do it, in the context of believing in him, so why is it only prayer to the Father when we ask him for things and not Jesus? Your position appears to be one of begging the question, which is an error in reasoning—you’re presuming the very thing you conclude, namely, that we can’t pray to Jesus.
 

Wick Stick

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Yes, absolutely correct. Prayer is for the Father only.

Is asking me for things prayer? No
Is asking you for things prayer? No
Is asking Jesus for things prayer? No
I mean... asking isn't necessarily prayer, but it's commonly part of it.

I think if you're directing your unspoken thoughts in the general direction of someone and trusting that they hear, you are probably praying.